Reading Fairy Tales
by TheNextFolchart
Summary: The thickest book on the shelf by her bed was about a beauty who fell for a beast, which Lily Evans thought was the most romantic thing in the world, and which Sirius Black thought was a load of crap.


**Reading Fairy Tales**

* * *

><p>The thickest book on the shelf by her bed was about a beauty who fell for a beast, which Lily Evans thought was the most romantic thing in the world, and which Sirius Black thought was a load of crap.<p>

"Why would she go for _him_?" he asked when he found her reading it in the common room one afternoon. "Why not the handsome bloke in the village."

"Because the 'handsome bloke' is a git," Lily said without looking up.

"If it were the other way around, I guarantee a man would choose a pretty woman over an ugly one," Sirius said, jumping over the back of the couch to sit next to her. "I know I would."

She flipped a page. "And that's why you're not my type."

He snorted. "Please, Evans, I'm everyone's type."

She glanced at him and grinned. "Keep telling yourself that."

* * *

><p>The thinnest book on the shelf by her bed was about a frog prince, and again Sirius couldn't understand the fascination.<p>

"So she's going to kiss the frog," he said from his place on the floor in front of the fireplace. "Just because he says he's a prince?"

"Mmhm."

"Why would anyone _do _that?"

"Love."

Sirius shook his head. "I will never understand muggles and their fascination with love. It's like every book you read is about love. Where's the action, the adventure?"

"There's action in this book!"

"Evans." Sirius scooted backwards until he was leaning against her armchair. "Snogging does not count as action." A pause, and then: "Actually, I suppose it depends how intense the snogging gets."

"There's torture," Lily offered, lowering the book so Sirius could see. "The kiss doesn't work at first, so she throws the frog against the wall."

Sirius scanned the lines. "The picture doesn't even have blood," he said, pushing the book away in disgust. "And he turned into a prince anyway, at the end. What's the point?"

Lily sighed. "If you can't say something nice," she said, turning a page, "keep your damn mouth shut, Black."

* * *

><p>They went through half the books on the shelf by her bed before stumbling upon <em>Peter Pan<em>, which Sirius found far more exciting than the other fairy tales.

"Let me get this straight," Sirius said as he craned his neck to read the summary on the back of the book. James was lying across the couch next to Lily, tossing an apple in the air and catching it. "This Pan, he can fly."

"Mhm."

"Without a broom."

"Yes."

"Because of a fairy."

"Tinkerbell."

"And he never grows older."

"That's right."

"And there's a pirate?"

"Sirius, don't you have better things to do?"

"Let him ask his questions," James said, nudging Lily's knee with his elbow. "It's the first time I've ever seen him interested in books."

"Just this book," Sirius corrected. "Because it's the only one she's read that's not all about love."

Lily put the book in her lap. "Not true!"

He began to tick them off on his fingers. "_Beauty and the Beast._ The frog one. _Snow White. Rapunzel. _The one with the girl who cleans house - she has evil sisters, and I said it sounded like living with my family?"

"_Cinderella,_" James supplied.

"Yeah, _Cinderella_."

"Forgive me for reading fairy tales," Lily said. "It's not as if I force you to sit out here and read with me. You lot come down to the common room of your own accord."

"Potter's only here because he's in love with you," Sirius said.

"It's true," added James, tilting his head back to grin at her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "What's your excuse, then, Sirius?"

"He's in love with me," James said.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Caught me."

"All kidding aside," Lily said, putting _Peter Pan_ on the table and crossing one leg over the other. "Ever since the start of sixth year you've been following me down to the common room every time I want to read. Why is that, Sirius?"

"Yes, Sirius," James said, sitting up and mimicking Lily's position. "Why is that? Are you in love with Miss Evans, as well?"

"Nah." Sirius pushed a hand through his shaggy hair. "I just get bored."

Lily sucked in one cheek. "I don't think that's true."

"Don't flatter yourself, Evans. You're easy on the eyes, but I'm not in love with you."

"No, no." She leaned over to pick up her book again. "I think you like my books."

He snorted. "Good one."

"Wait." James was smirking. "There could be something to that."

"Yeah, you caught me, I like listening to Evans squeal about princesses and true love."

"You're awfully attentive, though," Lily said. "You made me read most of _The Princess Bride_ aloud to you, do you remember?"

"No." But he answered too quickly, and James sprang to his feet.

"Sirius Black!" He was grinning. "You had Evans read aloud to you from a book called _The Princess Bride_?"

"Just as a joke!"

James was jumping up and down like a child. "Was there a princess?" he asked. "Was she a bride?"

"Shove off, Potter."

"What was the princess bride's name?"

"Buttercup," Sirius said through gritted teeth, and James fell against the couch.

"Don't worry, Sirius," Lily called over James' peals of laughter. "James asked me to read aloud to him once, too."

James stopped laughing immediately. "Don't you dare, Evans."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "What book was it?"

"Lily. _Don't_."

"Don't listen to him, tell me what book. It's only fair."

Lily was grinning. "_The Little Mermaid_."

"Mermaid?" Sirius repeated.

"_Lily_," James begged.

"At the end of the story she loses the love of her life and gets turned into sea foam," Lily said, and the smile was almost splitting her face. "And when she did, James _cried_."

Sirius' head snapped to James. "You didn't."

James was beet red.

"You _cried_?"

"You listened to an entire book about a girl called _Buttercup_!"

"At least there was action in mine."

"What action?" James scoffed. "A wedding?"

"No, real action. Pirates, kidnapping, fencing, torture, fire swamps - "

"You paid really close attention," Lily cut in. "I'm impressed, Sirius."

"Lily, shut _up_!" Sirius snarled.

_"_Sounds absolutely _thrilling_," James said.

"It is, compared to _sea foam_."

James chucked a couch cushion at his head; Sirius dodged, and it landed in the fireplace, where it quickly ignited.

"Oh, _honestly_," Lily said, pulling out her wand and dousing the fire in water. "Sit down before you two burn the castle down." She pulled _Peter Pan_ into her arms. "If it's going to cause this much trouble, I'll just read in my dormitory from now on," and she began to walk away.

"Wait." It was James.

She turned.

"Would you - " He licked his lips. "I sort of wanted to hear about the flying boy who didn't use a broom."

"Oh, thank Merlin you're the one who asked, because so do I," Sirius added.

Lily rolled her eyes, but she sat back down and opened the book to the first page. "'All children, except one, grow up," she began. "'They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was - '"

"Wendy?" Sirius interrupted. "Is that a love interest? Is this another book about bloody romance?"

"Less love than in _The Princess Bride_," Lily promised. "And fewer tears than _The Little Mermaid_, let's hope," she said to James.

"And action?" Sirius asked.

"Plenty of action."

"Good." James shifted his position until he was lying across the couch with his head on Lily's lap. She looked down at him with raised eyebrows, but she didn't tell him to move, and there was something almost like fondness in her green eyes. "Continue, then."

By the end of chapter one Sirius had left, loudly proclaiming that this story, like most of the others, was a load of crap; but James stayed late into the night, until the book was long finished and they were just two people by the fire sharing a tiny fairy tale of their own.

* * *

><p><em>[One of Every Letter: R]<em>

_[Het Pairings Boot Camp: shelf]_

_[Disney Character Competition: Tigger - write about James and Sirius]_


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